NEET Topper’s Suicide on MBBS Admission Day Exposes India’s Education Paradox
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Chandrapur, Maharashtra
- Sep 24, 2025
- 140
On what should have been the most defining day of his academic journey, 19-year-old Anurag Anil Borkar, a NEET UG 2025 high-ranker, ended his life at his home in Navagaon village, Chandrapur. The young aspirant, who had secured a remarkable 99.99 percentile and an All India Rank of 1475 in the OBC category, was set to leave for Gorakhpur Medical College, Uttar Pradesh, to begin his MBBS. Instead, he left behind a chilling note that lays bare the paradox at the heart of India’s education system.
A Note That Questions the System
Police recovered a suicide note that read:
“I don’t want to pursue an MBBS, as much as a doctor earns. A businessman can earn that much. Five years of study, followed by an MD… I don’t want to go through all that.”
These words reflect not just personal despair but also a generational disillusionment with the grinding years of medical education and the uncertain rewards at the end of it.
A Dream Abroad, A Family’s Pressure
Sources revealed that Anurag wanted to study medicine abroad. His family, however, believed that a government seat in India—earned through years of relentless effort—was a golden opportunity not to be wasted. This clash of visions between an ambitious son and his practical parents is believed to have triggered his final act.
It was his second consecutive attempt at NEET. Having disliked the college he got the first time, Anurag had worked harder to secure a better seat. Ironically, success became his burden.
A Mirror to a National Crisis
Anurag’s story is not an isolated tragedy—it is part of a disturbing pattern. On July 25, the Supreme Court called student suicides a “systemic failure,” warning against ignoring the crisis.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB):
170,924 people died by suicide in 2022.
13,044 of them were students—a jump from 5,425 in 2001.
Students now account for 8% of all suicides.
2,248 students ended their lives due to exam failure alone.
Behind these numbers lie stories of silent suffering—unrealistic expectations, financial pressures, and the crushing stigma of not meeting academic or professional milestones.
Beyond Percentiles: A Cry for Change
Anurag’s final words point to a larger debate: Is India’s obsession with professional courses, particularly medicine and engineering, robbing its youth of choice, creativity, and mental peace?
Even for those who “succeed,” the journey is long and grueling. Five years of MBBS, followed by specialization and years of service, often come with burnout and disillusionment. Meanwhile, professions in business, technology, and entrepreneurship offer quicker financial returns, drawing comparisons that many young minds like Anurag’s find difficult to reconcile.
The Takeaway
Anurag’s death is a reminder that success on paper does not guarantee happiness. It highlights the urgent need for:
Mental health counseling at the school and college level.
Parental sensitization to respect career choices.
Policy reforms to balance opportunities across fields and reduce the overdependence on a handful of “prestige” professions.
Until these steps are taken, India risks losing more bright young minds—not to academic failure, but to success that feels like a trap.